| The dynamic development of the brain during adolescence enables young people to acquire PHYSICAL, COGNITIVE, EMOTIONAL, SOCIAL and ECONOMIC RESOURCES that form the foundation for later life, health and wellbeing. This is also the period we have to impart GOOD VALUES and SKILLS to young people/Adolescents in order to make positive impacts on their lives. Interactions with the environment during this period also shape the individual’s capabilities that he/she takes into adult life, hence these interactions must be positive as much as possible We shall look at some protective and risk factors that influence Adolescents behaviour in subsequent posts and how we can leverage on them as mentors to ensure we churn out responsible adults who are our future leaders. |
| There are PROTECTIVE and RISK FACTORS that influence Adolescents behaviour PROTECTIVE FACTORS reduce negative behaviour, whilst RISK FACTORS increase the likelihood of young people exhibiting negative behaviour. To protect young people from harm or negative influence, we must promote the protective factors and reduce the risk factors. Protective factors make Adolescents/young people resilient (i.e the ability to bounce back after adversity). Both PROTECTIVE and RISK FACTORS are categorized into three areas; 1. INDIVIDUAL FACTORS 2. FAMILY FACTORS 3. ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS We shall look at the components of each category in our next article. |
Understanding Protective and Risk Factors in Adolescence
